Doctors said he might never run again. This Hesston High senior proved them wrong

This is a story about a young man from Hesston.

An aspiring runner who one year ago was told he’d never run again competitively.

“I have been running track since seventh grade, and I started taking it seriously in eighth grade after I had a nationally ranked season with the 400,” Hesston High senior Cavan Fuqua said. “Running is important to me because it gives me an escape from everything.

“To me, aside from Christ, track is the most reliable thing in the world. Nothing feels better than that feeling after you completed a tough workout or ran a PR. It never changes, just put in the work and get the results.”

But the results weren’t good that day in September 2021. His doctor informed him he had a rare bone condition in both of his shins — bone marrow edema.

“There’s really only one word that I can use here: angry,” Fuqua said of the doctor’s findings, and the suggestion he’d never run competitively again. “I was absolutely infuriated when I was told multiple times that this was impossible, that I would never run the same again.

“When I was diagnosed with bone marrow edema, I realized that this really was a serious problem, and I did begin to doubt if I’d ever be the same athlete again.”

Fuqua and his family sought multiple opinions from nearby doctors.

“I can’t remember the exact number,” he said. “All I know is I saw more than what was probably necessary.

“I honestly didn’t know how to react. The news was just so shocking to me that it didn’t feel real until I was out of the doctors office. All that would really go through my head was, ‘It’s really being taken from me, track is really being taken from me.’“

And that was tough to contemplate. After all, running had been a part of his life since elementary school.

“It’s funny, I’ve probably struggled with ‘shin splints’ for as long as I can remember,” he said. “So I probably started experiencing the pain back in fifth grade or so when I really started playing sports, but it got noticeable in seventh grade, then obviously excruciating my sophomore year, which led to me getting diagnosed with BME.”

Medication and therapy followed. Fuqua started going to physical therapy 1-2 times each week in Wichita. He also began taking meloxicam (an anti-inflammatory medicine, like ibuprofen).

During those physical therapy sessions, Fuqua remained determined he would one day run competitively again.

“I have never been more determined to do anything in my life,” he said. “Running again was all that was on my mind throughout the entire recovery process.”

Fuqua came back with a vengeance. His first track meet after his injury was a huge indoor meet at the University of Kansas.

“It was a great experience, even if I didn’t perform the best,” he said. “I ran the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash, and I got top 30 in the 60 overall and top 15 in the 200.”

Best of all, his legs weren’t hurting after that first meet back.

“My legs didn’t hurt after my first meet, if I remember correctly,” he said. “I was absolutely elated.”

Fuqua finished his junior season by earning a spot in the Kansas state outdoor meet at Cessna Stadium.

“It was phenomenal,” he said. “That’s really the only word that describes it. I was part of the 4x4 team that won state for (Class) 3A in Kansas, and this was also our second consecutive season winning state in that event. Overall, just an amazing experience.”

He ran the second leg after teammate Max Werner. Fuqua handed off to Tyler Rewerts, and Cason Richardson was the anchor.

And some had said Fuqua would never run competitively again. A miracle indeed for the Hesston Swather.

“I truly do think that it’s a miracle I’m running again,” Fuqua said. “I wasn’t supposed to be competitive this season, or ever again really, but I ended up a state champ and qualified for Junior Olympics this past summer.

“God defied the odds with me. He showed me that He doesn’t care about what is supposed to be impossible. He is the God who does impossible things, the God who literally rose from the dead (Jesus). So yeah this was a miracle: God fixed my impossible, He showed me He is greater than the world.”

While Fuqua is not completely pain-free now, at least he is running again.

“Some days it hurts and some days it doesn’t. But I’m sprinting again — that’s the miracle, not if I’m pain-free or not,” he said. “God gave me a second chance at doing what I love, and He has sustained me through every high and low this past season.”

This time next year, Fuqua hopes he’s showcasing his sprinting talents in college.

“Running in college is a huge goal of mine, and definitely something I want to do,” he said. “I don’t necessarily care where it is, I just know that I’m gonna do it.”

For those who might doubt him, remember he was told he’d never sprint again on a competitive basis. And look how that turned out.